New pricing structure allows customers to pick only the stations they want

XM and Sirius have announced proposed price cuts and new plans for post merger services, despite the fact that a merger between XM and Sirius is far from a done deal. A XM/Sirius FCC filing (PDF) reveals the company has a new pricing structure with new packages starting at $6.99 and going up to $16.99 per month.

This programming is a la carte, offering subscribers more service options. At $6.99 per month, customers can choose 50 channels and add additional channels for $.25 per month. Under the $6.99 package, the subscriber would have to choose all 50 channels from either XM or Sirius. The company does not allow mixing and matching between both services with the $6.99 package. This represents a 46% decrease in the price of the current lowest cost subscription rate from either provider.

Another a la carte option gives subscribers 100 channels and the option to pick from the best programming of both XM and Sirius for $14.99 per month. Other new service packages include two family friendly packs that block adult themed programs like Howard Stern and Playboy.

Customers will also be able to get all programming from both XM and Sirius on their current XM or Sirius hardware post merger for $16.99 per month. The proposed a la carte programming would be available within one year of the merger.

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Better music is subjective, but obviously your CD collection is going to have what you like to listen to so making a comparison on that is pointless.

If you don't spend much time in the car, I'll admit that it's hard to justify satellite, but since I got Sirius (on a whim back in early 2006 when the cheapest receivers hit $50) I've fond a ton of new artists that I had never heard of before and never would have through regular radio and/or my circle of friends. It's also amazing for me since I regularly spend hours traveling all over the state and occasionally out of state I don't have to deal with hunting for new stations every two hours or being in the middle of nowhere forced to listen to some hillbilly crap to keep from getting bored.

The Midwest justifies satellite radio is basically my point. If you live in an area where there is musical diversity on the FM dial or carry a crapload of CDs, you don't need it. However if you're like me and don't carry your music library in your car while being often stuck in areas where the radio selection is two country stations, two hip-hop, one top 40, and one classic rock, it sells itself.

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